"A black sheriff?!": The Official Topic of Obama and New Era American Politics

[HyperZoneWasAwesome]

You really think it'd be smart for Jindal to turn down 500 million in infrastructure spending?

All this does is signal to me I was wrong about him waiting to run for President, he has to be thinking about 2012 with a potential move like this.

Even if Jindal turns down the money, or any other governor does, the state will most likely still receive the funds.  There's a provision in the bill that can allow state legislatures to override the governors and get some of that cashola anyway.  When Jindal and South Carolina guv Mark Sanford say they won't take the money, what will probably really happen is that their state will get the money anyway and they get to keep their credentals as fiscal conservatives that don't feed offa big poppa's teat.  This AP story sums it up better then I do.

U.S. Rep. James Clyburn, D-S.C., the No. 3 House Democrat, said the governors — some of whom are said to be eyeing White House bids in 2012 — are putting their own interests first.

"No community or constituent should be denied recovery assistance due to their governor's political ideology or political aspirations," Clyburn said Wednesday.

In fact, governors who reject some of the stimulus aid may find themselves overridden by their own legislatures because of language Clyburn included in the bill that allows lawmakers to accept the federal money even if their governors object.

He inserted the provision based on the early and vocal opposition to the stimulus plan by South Carolina's Republican governor, Mark Sanford. But it also means governors like Sanford and Louisiana's Bobby Jindal — a GOP up-and-comer often mentioned as a potential 2012 presidential candidate — can burnish their conservative credentials, knowing all the while that their legislatures can accept the money anyway.

of course if the state legislatures are as willing to play a partisan game of chicken as their governors are, then the people living in those states are fucked anyway, but then again they probably were beforehand with such sterling leadership at the helm.

[siamesedreamer]

Both states receive more tax funds than they put in anyway.

[Human Snorenado]

Both states receive more tax funds than they put in anyway.

Haha, isn't that usually the way with these uber-conservatard states?  "I don't want mah tax money goin' to them queers in them blue states!"  Well actually sir, madam or mongoloid as the case may be, your state operates on the money of "them blue state queers".  Wanna give it back?  Yeah, bet not.

[Cheebs]

Well that makes it even worse, Jindal is doing this all for show for 2012 and not for some sort of moral stand. I hate watching the GOP using the economy in such blatant ways for political gain.  Not saying the Democrats are innocent, but at least they are trying to fix it.

[ToxicAdam]

Well that makes it even worse, Jindal is doing this all for show for 2012 and not for some sort of moral stand. I hate watching the GOP using the economy in such blatant ways for political gain.  Not saying the Democrats are innocent, but at least they are trying to fix it.

hahah .. oh cheebs.

[siamesedreamer]

Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaand Sanford changes his mind.

[Cheebs]

Well that makes it even worse, Jindal is doing this all for show for 2012 and not for some sort of moral stand. I hate watching the GOP using the economy in such blatant ways for political gain.  Not saying the Democrats are innocent, but at least they are trying to fix it.

hahah .. oh cheebs.

I never said Democrats aren't doing stuff for political gain as well. But Democrats are at the same time trying to get something done to get the economy fixed while Republicans are trying to impede any action being taken on the economy.

[Human Snorenado]

Gov. also Sarah also Palin has a productive meeting with Alaskan legislators, also.

A couple of weeks before the Alaska legislature began this year's session, a bipartisan group of state senators on a retreat a few hours from here invited Gov. Sarah Palin to join them. Accompanied by a retinue of advisers, she took a seat at one end of a conference table and listened passively as Gary Stevens, the president of the Alaska Senate, a former college history professor and a low-key Republican with a reputation for congeniality, expressed delight at her presence.

Would the governor, a smiling Stevens asked, like to share some of her plans and proposals for the coming legislative session?

Palin looked around the room and paused, according to several senators present. "I feel like you guys are always trying to put me on the spot," she said finally, as the room became silent.

siamesedreamer is in looooooooooooove!

[ToxicAdam]

That's why you are a democrat cheebs. As long as someone does it under the guise of "doing something good" all the negative consequences or other malfeasances can be somehow excused.

I think Christians do the same kind mental gymnastics.

[Cheebs]

That's why you are a democrat cheebs.

I actually blame being raised by two liberal atheist parents more than anything.

[siamesedreamer]

siamesedreamer is in looooooooooooove!

How many times do I have to repeat myself?   

[siamesedreamer]

[youtube=560,345]N4slBvPQY4g&eurl[/youtube]

[Phoenix Dark]

"liberal hijacking of the american way of life"
http://www.bobcesca.com/blog-archives/2009/02/wtf_20.html

edit:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/02/17/hannitys-apocalyptic-stim_n_167763.html 

[siamesedreamer]

Damn that Rick Santelli vid is all over Drudge.

[Phoenix Dark]

It makes no sense. Wall street cretins boohooing about their money being wasted to bail out undeserving folks? smh

[demi]

That's why you are a democrat cheebs.

I actually blame being raised by two liberal atheist parents more than anything.

How do you explain your homosexuality?

[Eric P]

That's why you are a democrat cheebs.

I actually blame being raised by two liberal atheist parents more than anything.

How do you explain your homosexuality?

the delicious taste of dick

[siamesedreamer]

I would like to think the president or somebody from the administration will step up and say something (anything) to try to put the markets at ease. This is getting really fucking scary.

Where's Ghengis?

[siamesedreamer]

He's right about the huge increase in total debt and that its completely unsustainable. I don't know if what you quoted is accurate though. Seems like he ignores population growth in regard to the need for GDP to grow.

[Cheebs]

I would like to think the president or somebody from the administration will step up and say something (anything) to try to put the markets at ease. This is getting really fucking scary.

Where's Ghengis?

What do you mean? Are you saying Obama's line he always uses on the stump/tv where he claims things are still going to get much much worse for the next year should be toned down a bit?

[siamesedreamer]

No. That's just stimulus CYA talk.

The problem is the banks. They completely fucking blew it last week with the Geithner debacle. Obama needs to get ahead of this fear of nationalization gripping the markets. How they do they I don't know. But, something needs to be done very soon.

Gold might 1000 today. 

[Human Snorenado]

They get by it by doing what they HAVE to do, which is nationalize the fucking banks.  Just the big ones, but it needs to be done and the longer they put it off the worse things are going to get.

[The Fake Shemp]

Watching this conference with mayors is pretty interesting.  Obama is running this thing like he's read a few books on management - there are some basic rules of competent management in effect here.

[Human Snorenado]

What baffles me about this "bipartisanship" meme running around is that apparently, according to the Republicans and the mainstream media who have chosen to enable them, "bipartisanship" means giving the Republicans what they want all of the time and smiling about it.

In my opinion, they should be happy to have a seat at the table and be able to toss their ideas out there, because congressional Dems definitely didn't have that option when they were in the minority during Bush's two terms.  It's like a meeting at a company- you get to talk but you don't get to run it, distinguished mentally-challenged fellows.

[siamesedreamer]

They get by it by doing what they HAVE to do, which is nationalize the fucking banks.  Just the big ones, but it needs to be done and the longer they put it off the worse things are going to get.

Citi -22% 
BoA -18%
 
They might have to nationalize them this weekend.

[Eric P]

They get by it by doing what they HAVE to do, which is nationalize the fucking banks.  Just the big ones, but it needs to be done and the longer they put it off the worse things are going to get.

forgive my total economic ignorance, but what would this allow them to do?
what's the sequence of events which would lead us from the desert, if you will?

[ToxicAdam]

Europe does it, so it must be good.

[Eric P]

europe also puts immigrants on boat prisons

[Van Cruncheon]

a. it would take state ownership of the bad debt on the books.
b. the state could dictate lending practices, rather than suggest them.
c. really, should banks be run as for-profit institutions?

note that this has potential downsides as well as upsides, just like everything else planned to assist the economy. however, i fall on the side of getting as much toxic debt out of the private sector as possible as quickly as possible, and opening up lending markets with REGULATION and less usurious practices. c) is a matter of personal opinion, but i think it's borderline criminal that banking doesn't have far more severe oversight, if not outright accountability to the state and the people. fuck shareholders. we shouldn't be building fake wealth on the bubble of obscene interest rates.

[Tauntaun]

europe also puts immigrants on boat prisons

Seriously?  That's pretty badass for some homos.   

[siamesedreamer]

I suspect that the administration really fears a 1987-style market reaction to nationalization. But, what other choice is out there? Let's just rip the band-aid off and begin the slow process of digging out.

[siamesedreamer]

Citi -37%

[Cheebs]

So...whats the chances Obama will actually nationalize the banking system?

[Brehvolution]

What happened to the last 2 guys that wanted to do it?

[Human Snorenado]

a. it would take state ownership of the bad debt on the books.
b. the state could dictate lending practices, rather than suggest them.
c. really, should banks be run as for-profit institutions?

note that this has potential downsides as well as upsides, just like everything else planned to assist the economy. however, i fall on the side of getting as much toxic debt out of the private sector as possible as quickly as possible, and opening up lending markets with REGULATION and less usurious practices. c) is a matter of personal opinion, but i think it's borderline criminal that banking doesn't have far more severe oversight, if not outright accountability to the state and the people. fuck shareholders. we shouldn't be building fake wealth on the bubble of obscene interest rates.

You left out

d. taking the banks into receivership (nationalization) allows the govt. to fire the shitheels that ruined everything

[Olivia Wilde Homo]

Nationalization or at least some government co-ownership is inevitable.  The stocks are falling because nothing the private banking sector has done has alleviated these fears.  For being supposedly the best and brightest in America, they have jack shit for a solution.  Way to go, guys.  All these distinguished mentally-challenged fellows knew how to do was hide liabilities and hand out bonuses.

Obama needs a new rule: any company that receives $1 of bailout money should have the entire Board of Directors sacked.

[Mandark]

Ya, look how good all the money we have poured into Louisiana education system has done so far? We just haven't spent enough.

wat?

[siamesedreamer]

They came out at around 2:00 today to say they support a private banking system. Up to the point we were down over 200 and both C and BAC were falling off a cliff. It was still a pretty bad day, but I honestly think we were teetering on the edge of a massive sell off.

[ToxicAdam]

Ya, look how good all the money we have poured into Louisiana education system has done so far? We just haven't spent enough.

wat?

http://www.dailyworld.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20090111/OPINION01/901110302

[Dickie Dee]

http://www.dailyworld.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20090111/OPINION01/901110302

You're point is that since LA is in the bottom 10 of performance while being in the bottom 10 of spending, it would be useless to spend more?

I'm lost...

[Human Snorenado]

They came out at around 2:00 today to say they support a private banking system. Up to the point we were down over 200 and both C and BAC were falling off a cliff. It was still a pretty bad day, but I honestly think we were teetering on the edge of a massive sell off.

The problem is that as soon as they say they're going to nationalize/put into receivership even ONE bank, the dominoes will start to fall.  Bunch of high strung pussies on Wall Street.  And that fucking Santelli son of a bitch needs to be shot- so it's ok to spend $700 billion on your buddies on Wall Street who fucked up, but spending roughly 1/10 of that on people who may not have made the best choices but can still pay a reasonable mortgage payment requires you to act like an uppity assburger?  Fuck that.  I still say that an entire class of people needs to be beheaded to fix this.

[siamesedreamer]

Jindal has rejected $98M in stimulus funds that would have gone to unemployment extension benefits.

[Olivia Wilde Homo]

LA will still get it anyway

[siamesedreamer]

The problem is that as soon as they say they're going to nationalize/put into receivership even ONE bank, the dominoes will start to fall.

No doubt man. But, here's the thing. These stress tests are complete bullshit. Everyone of those banks is insolvent (at least theoretically). But, Geithner is gonna come back and say they're just dandy. Fine. Wouldn't expect anything else. He's got buddies to protect. So what happens after they have the official gubment seal of approval? Some more capital injections via TARP II that get shoved right back down the giant black hole never to be seen again. Then four months later we're right back where we started. Zombie central that gets played out forever instead of just nipping it in the bud and ending it so the rebuilding process can begin. Someone is gonna have to grow a gigantic set of balls or we're gonna be stuck in a never ending loop.  

[siamesedreamer]

LA will still get it anyway

Probably. I think I read that the state legislatures can over rule the gubnah.

[Human Snorenado]

Oh, no doubt.  But I think you're underestimating Obama and Geithner.  I expect Citi and B of A to get put into receivership within the next week, I think they're just playing rope a dope with Wall St. right now.  I see the "stress test" process as a way for them to say, "we were totally going to look for another way to do this, but my laws!  ya'll are just too fucked up for that too happen."

At least that's what I hope.  I have grown increasingly worried that the two loudest voices Obama is listening to on the economy (Geithner and Summers) are saying basically the same thing.  I think he would have been better served going with someone like Stiglitz as Treasury Sec, but whatever.

[siamesedreamer]

How does receivership differ from full blown nationalization? Does common get wiped?

[Human Snorenado]

How does receivership differ from full blown nationalization? Does common get wiped?

It's a word that will hopefully make Republicans less insane.  That's it.

[siamesedreamer]

Gotcha. But hey - Lindsey's on our side! 

[Human Snorenado]

Gotcha. But hey - Lindsey's on our side! 

Means nothing.  After the broad parameters of the stimulus leaked, Republicans were all "oh wow we're pleasantly surprised!"  and then 36 of them voted for a stimulus plan that consisted of nothing but tax cuts.  DC Republicans are about as useless as thumbs on a distinguished mentally-challenged fellow.

[Mandark]

http://www.dailyworld.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20090111/OPINION01/901110302

You're point is that since LA is in the bottom 10 of performance while being in the bottom 10 of spending, it would be useless to spend more?

I'm lost...

Ditto.

Also, Cheebs is naive for thinking that Jindal, Sanford et al are posturing for political gain?  Apparently Obama's Iago and they're a bunch of Othellos, which would be ironic.

[Brehvolution]

DC Republicans are about as useless as thumbs on a distinguished mentally-challenged fellow.

[ToxicAdam]

http://ftp2.census.gov/govs/school/06f33pub.pdf

Table 11

[Phoenix Dark]

http://www.dailyworld.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20090111/OPINION01/901110302

You're point is that since LA is in the bottom 10 of performance while being in the bottom 10 of spending, it would be useless to spend more?

I'm lost...

Ditto.

Also, Cheebs is naive for thinking that Jindal, Sanford et al are posturing for political gain?  Apparently Obama's Iago and they're a bunch of Othellos, which would be ironic.

Yea, it's a smart move (from their perspective). Their states are going to get the money regardless - they just get to beat their chest and say they refused the money. One less feather for Romney's 2012 hat

[Mandark]

http://ftp2.census.gov/govs/school/06f33pub.pdf

Table 11

Change the bolded number to see the stats going back to '02.  They keep the format intact too, so Table X always has the same data no matter which edition.  Good stuff.

The rankings on Table 11 for the years 2002-6 go:  42, 39, 41, 42, 24.

Huh.

LA education spending per $1,000 of personal income is at about $49 for every year except the last, when it suddenly jumps to $60.  20% hike in one year.

Hm.  Now can anyone tell me what might have happened in Louisiana that would have dramatically changed their '05-06 school year's stats from the previous trends?  Something that might have sharply reduced the denominators in all these per-pupil and per-income calculations?

Anyone?

[Van Cruncheon]

[The Fake Shemp]

To borrow from an old meme:

spoiler (click to show/hide)

I don't know what that means.

[close]

[Mandark]

I can't tell if you're serious.  It's that deadpan delivery.

spoiler (click to show/hide)

Summary version:  Louisiana doesn't devote more resources to teaching children than the US average, they just had a ruddy great rainstorm which chased away all the students and now makes their school budget look better than it is.

[close]

[The Fake Shemp]

So, what you're basically saying is that ToxicAdam is right?

[Mandark]

Now you're just trolling.